Piedraescrita Pilgrimage

Easter Monday sees the Badajoz town of Campanario hold one of the most “multitudinous” fiestas in the district of La Serena, the Piedraescrita Pilgrimage. The fiesta is celebrated in honour of the town's patroness, the Virgin of Piedraescrita, whose image, legend has it, dates back to the 13th century and for whom the shrine was built in the 15th century, right on the spot where the carved figure was found. This is exactly where the day's fiesta comes to an end; a fiesta which in truth began months beforehand with the preparation of the floats, wagons and mounts that form part of one of the fiesta's highpoints: the parade of floats.

Declared a Festivity of Tourist Interest in Extremadura, it begins early morning when the locals and visitors gather together in the town's Plaza de España to find the best place from which to enjoy one of the big attraction points of the celebration, the parade of floats. A show of light and colour floods the streets of Campanario, which over the years became so impressive that it was decided to hold a competition to award a prize to the best float.

After the parade, the pilgrims set out for the shrine of the Virgin of Piedraescrita where, in addition to taking part in a religious ceremony, they will spend the rest of the day picnicking in the surrounding countryside. A pilgrimage on which not only traditional Easter confectionery delicacies are enjoyed, as well as meat pies and "hornazos" (pork pies), but also other rich, Extremadura and local food and drink delights, such as La Serena cheese.